To study the impact of intensive care unit (ICU) treatment on outcomes for elderly patients at two weeks, one month, three months, six months, and twelve months after discharge in order to (1) assess outcome status in three areas: discharge needs, functional status, and health status; (2) determine how discharge needs, functional status, and health status change over time; (3) evaluate the discharge planning performed predischarge and assess the timing and adequacy of discharge plans from the patients' perspective post discharge; (4) compare the outcomes of elderly and discharge needs; (5) examine the effect of severity of illness on discharge needs and post discharge functional and health status over time; (6) modify and pilot test a proposed ICU based nursing screening intervention to identify discharge needs more accurately and efficiently, thus improving the quality of care. Objectives: (1) to follow elderly ICU patients after discharge to comprehensively study the discharge needs and the impact of ICU treatment on outcomes at five intervals: short term, (two weeks and one month after discharge), moderate, (three and six months after discharge) and long term (12 months after discharge); (2) to compare outcomes of elderly ICU patients with middle aged ICU patients and to evaluate the extent to which age accounts for outcome variance (Phase I). These objective will be met using a longitudinal prospective, panel research design, with the use of mailed questionnaires. Based on the information obtained, an ICU based nursing intervention to improve post-hospitalization care for critically ill elderly patients will be implemented and pilot tested (Phase II). Variables: Discharge needs, functional status, health status, severity of illness, diagnosis, ICU treatments received, hospital and ICU length of stay, social support, use of support services after discharge, and socio-demographic variables including age, gender and race. Data will be analyzed using correlational analysis, repeated measures ANOVA, and multiple regression. Implications: (1) provides data on discharge needs of elderly patients who have been critically ill; (2) identifies outcomes regarding discharge needs, functional status and health over time; (3) provides data to pilot test an ICU based nursing intervention to improve the discharge planning process for critically ill elderly patients.